What Signings do the 'Big Six' Need in the Summer?

Pep Guardiola looks all set to deliver Manchester City's fifth Premier League in the last nine seasons this year, despite playing without a natural focal point to their attack in just over 50% of their games. With Sergio Aguero barely seeing a Premier League pitch these days and with Gabriel Jesus struggling to mount any consistent form, it is an area Guardiola will likely try and address this summer.

One name in particular, which stands out in this sense: Erling Haaland. The Norwegian’s father, Alfe-Inge Haaland, used to play for City in their Maine Road days and his son Erling was born whilst he was playing for Leeds United, meaning the 20-year-old spent the first four years of his life in England.

The Borussia Dortmund centre-forward is arguably the most sought after player in Europe at the moment, only Robert Lewandowski outscoring him once again. The Norweigan attacker could be at the centre of a transfer tug of war this summer, however, with City's financial flexibility, they might have the pulling power to land the prolific striker.

Another player City and Guardiola could look to land is Barcelona's Lionel Messi, in what would be the biggest free transfer in football history. The Argentine has voiced his discontent over the last year at the Nou Camp and as his contract runs out this summer with no movement on a new deal, it’s pretty much guaranteed this is Messi’s final season at Barca, 17 years after his debut.
With Guardiola having guided Messi to become the greatest in the world all those years ago, it all seems to add up for the six-time Ballon d’Or winner to join City.

Thomas Tuchel has a squad lined with quality and depth at his disposal, and the German should really be looking to fine-tune it come the summer. A top-class striker should be high on Tuchel's agenda to see the Blues really challenge for the Premier League title.

Like City, Haaland has been a player that Chelsea seem to have a vested interest in and one that would boost them onto the next level but whether they could land him would be a different matter. The Blues are in a real battle for a place in the top four, and if they don't make the Champions League, they stand no chance of signing Haaland with City and Manchester United also in the hunt for him.

A good alternative could be Paris Saint-Germain's Mauro Icardi, though, who has played just 15 times in Ligue 1 this season and remains by a distance, the second option to Kylian Mbappe. With Mauricio Pochettino having a breadth of attacking options to choose from, he may look to offload his compatriot come the summer, and Stamford Bridge could be a good fit.

It was evident to all that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's number one target last summer was Dortmund's Jadon Sancho, and the 20-year-old is likely to be high up on the Old Trafford wish list again this coming window.

With Anthony Martial struggling for form this season, Solskjaer could return for Sancho with reports suggesting that he is set to be priced £30m cheaper than the £120m United wouldn’t budge on last summer.

With the winger only having two years left on his contract come the summer, Dortmund could be forced to sell if they want to recoup a big fee for the player and this might well be the season to do so.

An alternative, of course, is Aston Villa's Jack Grealish, who is linked with a move to Old Trafford daily. The Villa captain been involved in more goals than anybody outside of the top six this season but is likely to command a sizable fee if United do pursue him with the 25-year-old only recently signing a new five-year deal with his boyhood club.

Liverpool's torrid season has ultimately been down to the loss of both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, with midfielders Jordan Henderson and Fabinho having to fill the void in the heart of the Reds defence. Despite having signed both Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies, Jurgen Klopp may have to sign an elite-level centre-back this summer with it being unforeseen as to whether van Dijk will be the same player upon his return. Regardless, the Dutchman, quite clearly, is more important than we first envisioned and the club needs a better alternative than what they have. A player that Klopp will know well from his time in the Bundesliga is David Alaba.

The Austrian is out of contract in the summer and looks all set to leave the European champions after more than 10 years in Munich. Despite starting his career as an out and out left-back, Alphonso Davies' emergence has seen Alaba transition into a central defender, and a top one too. At just 28, the nine-time Bundesliga champion would be an excellent option for Jurgen Klopp, although it does look as if he will move to Real Madrid.

Villa's Ezri Konsa is another player that Liverpool should be keeping an eye on, as well as other impressive young centre-backs like Caglar Soyuncu. The 23-year-old Konsa is a good outside bet to go to the European Championships this summer, and having impressed alongside Tyrone Mings at the heart of a Villa defence that has kept 13 clean sheets in 25 games, the centre-back could be a good option for Liverpool.

However, with Villa looking to push on in the Premier League, the Villans are likely to demand a lot of money, especially given how they know Liverpool are so desperate.

Tottenham Hotspur have, on paper, the fourth-best defence in the league, but this is not so down to the personal, but more to Jose Mourinho defensively-minded tactics. The likes of Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez, and Hugo Lloris have come in for heavy criticism within this period, as they haven’t really looked that well-drilled in their defensive duties.

With a decision looming on Dean Henderson's Old Trafford career, Spurs should have a watchful eye over developments at United regarding a replacement for the 34-year-old Lloris. Henderson, 23, showcased his talent over a two-year loan at Sheffield United and looks intent on becoming a top clubs number one this summer after impressing in games for United as well this campaign. Henderson has played plenty times for United this season and with the birth of David De Gea’s daughter, the England star has taken the number one spot of late and done so incredibly well.

A high calibre centre-back should be high up on Mourinho's wish list too, and the Tottenham boss should look no further than Inter Milan's Milan Skriniar. Tottenham have been linked heavily with the 26-year-old in recent transfer windows, and signing the no-nonsense defender would definitely be a step up in comparison to their other options. However, with Inter on course to win Serie A, there is little reasoning behind why Skriniar would move on, and Spurs may have to look elsewhere to solve their defensive woes.

Prior to the turn into 2021, Arsenal would have been looking to sign an attacking midfielder as Mesut Ozil’s void continued to cause problems for Mikel Arteta’s creativity. Still, with the recent emergence of Emile Smith-Rowe, the Gunners may look elsewhere come the summer. A centre-back should be a key area to address to find a long-term partner for Gabriel.

Barcelona's Samuel Umtiti is a player that could be on the move this summer. The French central defender is out of favour at the Nou Camp and will only have two years left on his contract come the summer, meaning he might be available at a cut-price deal. At just 27, the World Cup winner still has a lot to offer and could form a good partnership with Gabriel if a move to the Emirates materialises.

Another position that Arsenal could strengthen is the right-back area. Hector Bellerin has not developed how the club would've liked, nor is Cedric Soares a long-term answer. A player that has been linked with a move to the Emirates and would improve the Gunners is Brighton's Tariq Lamptey. The 20-year-old has impressed at the Amex stadium this year and could be a good addition to complement Kieran Tierney on the other side. The Englishman would be pricey, though, with his current deal running until 2025.